


A tribute

by ItStartedWithPotter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: COVID-19, Canon Compliant, Death in the Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, One Shot, The Burrow (Harry Potter), present day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItStartedWithPotter/pseuds/ItStartedWithPotter
Summary: It's a sad day for the Potter-Weasley Clan as they've lost the patriarch. In such times, grief is inevitable but not without the support, comfort and love of the family to help remember the beautiful memories created with the loved one.This story is to honour my favourite fictional family. To honour all of us who have lost someone we love. To honour all the individuals who have lost their lives to Covid-19. May everyone's soul find peace.
Relationships: Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	A tribute

**Author's Note:**

> I lost my granddad in the early hours of yesterday morning. I find it hard to talk about it. But somehow I found myself writing. This is probably not my best writing - not even close. but it wrote itself. My granddad was a practical and yet thoughtful man. And like Dumbledore he was a wise man. He wouldn't have been scared of death, I know it. So I've decided to honour his memory by celebrating his life.

When they finally made it to The Burrow, Rose Weasley was the first to greet them. She, a carbon copy of her mother had flowing bushy brown hair. Right now, it was messily tied up as her eye-liner smudged and her eyes teared up again at seeing them. 

“Aunt Ginny,” she croaked and burst into tears. Silent tears matched Rose’s as Ginny enveloped her niece into a hug. Her own daughter, Lily, stood holding her dad’s hand and the small group of people headed towards the larger gathering. 

A large tent had been erected in the centre of the garden overlooking the house itself. If one looked closely, they would see the tiny little gnomes gleefully jumping around the poles, stepping on toes and trying to bite through robes. But for once, no one was paying them attention. Bill Weasley and Neville Longbottom were summoning furniture and chairs so that as more people arrived, there was somewhere for them to sit. Charlie, George, Fleur and Angelina had taken on the role of ensuring everyone had water, fire-whiskey or butter beer in their hands. Cousins and friends were milling around. Holding each other, exchanging hugs.

Wizarding England, like most of England, had been forced to isolate and even though the ministry agreed that magical folk were unlikely to catch it or be carriers but they had opted to abide by the Muggle rules of social distancing. Since the end of the second wizarding war, it was common place for the ministry to take a more liberal approach towards their co-existence with muggles. The ministry was quite clear – no one must be seen in the muggle world as breaking the rules of lockdown. This meant of course, that the Potter-Weasley Clan had flocked together and begged the ministry to allow them a concealment charm so that they could grieve in peace. And since Hermione was the minister for magic, this particular request was fairly easy to allow. 

As soon as Ginny and Rose, followed by James, Harry and Lily, had made it through the bushes, they had been gathered up by the Weasley family as they supported their youngest sister. Harry stood apart a little and as Lily tugged on his hand he let her go so she could run up and join Hugo and Teddy Lupin who had decided to take on the role of chaperone for the kids. He stared numbly at the people. His friends. His family. His glasses had misted and his eyes were a little wet. He couldn’t tell if they were tears or the slight drizzle that had started. He looked up to the house he had often called his home away from Hogwarts as he grew up. He walked slowly and deliberately away from the group of people, that was now more of a crowd. He walked down the gravel, casting charms behind him just in case muggles were to stray towards the house and the garden. Past the big apple tree, overlooking the area that he, Ginny, Ron and the rest of them would play Quidditch Friendlies. He spotted Percy and his daughter bobbing up the other side. Percy’s wife lifted her arm to show her acknowledgement and Harry moved his arm in kind. Not wanting to engage in conversation he turned away a little. 

He hadn’t been home when the Patronus had arrived. It was from Hermione who had been on her weekly visit to The Burrow. The passing of Arthur Weasley had come both suddenly and as a shock to the whole family. Ginny was on her own and so when Harry returned from a day at the ministry, he was alarmed to see Ginny sitting in exactly the same position he had left her in after lunch. Except now she looked like she had aged ten years. She had slowly turned to him and whispered, ‘He’s gone Harry. Dad. He-he’s dead.’ 

Harry found himself finally entering the house. Past the kitchen and to the living room where Molly sat. She looked up as he entered and so did Ron and Hermione.  
“Molly,” Harry whispered and it was when Molly’s warm embrace surrounded him, he started shaking as sobs wracked through him. Molly held on to him and Harry’s other hand was grasped by Hermione’s. 

“We couldn’t save him,” Harry’s muffled voice said, trembling. From somewhere above him Ron’s anguished sigh was heard.  
“You did Harry. You, Ron and Hermione saved the world. You gave him the faith that he raised you all right. You gave him a life worth living.”  
Molly’s eyes were tired but as she made Harry look at him, he saw her as she was when he had first met her: a kind and self-less human. For even in her grief and sorrow she thought only of her children.  
“He was the first father figure I had,”  
“You were like a son to him, mate,” Ron said quietly from behind. 

They fell into silence after that. At some point various people came in to sit by Molly. Even Ron and Hermione went outside to be with the others. But Harry continued to sit there. And it was as the wizarding sermons began outside and Ron gestured to Harry to help with bringing Arthur’s casket down – a task done by the children, Harry realised what he was feeling was the acute loss of a parent. 

He hadn’t known his parents. And the Weasleys had taken him in as their own. 

Later that evening as Arthur’s coffin was taken away by ministry officials to an old wizarding burial site the Weasleys and their loved ones gathered together.  
“To Arthur Weasley,” they chanted. And Harry Potter, mourned with them, the loss of a father. 

Tomorrow they would have to face the world again. Answer Floo calls. Clean out rooms and sort out the paperwork. But today it was time to remember and celebrate the life of Arthur.

**Author's Note:**

> As Dumbledore would say:
> 
> '“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
> 
> R.I.P Dadu. 
> 
> -V-


End file.
